Tramway-point.



No. 822,055. PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

, W. KNEEN.

TRAMWAY POINT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27. 1904.

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APPLICATION FILED DBO. 27. 1904. I

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TRAMWAY POINT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27. 1904.

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Umrnn STATES PATENT ()EFICE.

i z WILLIAM KNEEN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

TBAMWAY-POINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

?atented.'May29, 1906.

Application filed December 27, 1904- Serial No. 238.546- i siderable mechanical gain is obtained, and provision is also made to prevent jamming by mud or the like.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan, illustrating the track-lever and its con T0 LtZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM KNEEN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 11 Euston road, London, N. W., England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tramway-Points, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the automatic operation of tramway-points or switch-rails, the object being to provide means whereby this automatic operation can be effected by devices under the control of the driver in a very effective manner and without shock, so that liability of damage of the apparatus due to careless or rapid driving over the points is obviated.

According to the invention an approximately horizontal pivoted lever is mounted in a suitable casing on the track between the rails, the casing being embedded and the lever edge being at or slightly below the tracklevel. The lever is connected by links and levers to the pivoted switch-rail which is to be moved. The operation of the switch-rail is effected by a wheel on the tram-car, which wheel under the control of the driver is lowered to engage the track-lever, depress the same, and force over the switch-rail as the tram-car passes along. The track-lever is so mounted that the operating-wheel engages it first near its fulcrum, where there is least leverage, the leverage increasing as the wheel runs along the edge of the lever, so that the force is transmitted to the switch-rail in a gradually increasing manner, and consequently even when a car travels over the points at a rapid rate the switch rail is thrown over without shock either to the switch-rail or the operating-lever, thus obviating any rebound of the switch-rail or damage to the operating-lever or accessory devices.

The lever is also at or slightly below the track-level and in a casing so arranged that the operating-wheel running along the track enters a slot in the casing, runs onto the edge of the lever, depresses same, and then runs off onto an incline by which it is guided to the track-level. This arrangement enables the operating-wheel to strike the apparatus at a very rapid rate without shock or ill effect, such as occurs with most apparatus hitherto constructed when the car is traveling very quickly over the points.

The arrangement of the lever and its connection to the switch-rail is such that a con 1 being taken on A B, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically an alternative connection between the gear and the switch-ra l.

the section being taken on C D, 4 is a detail section onE F, Figs. 1 5 is a section on G H, Fig. 3.

tram-car, Fig. 7 being a detail endv view connected therewith. Fig. 8 is a cross-section of according to the invention.

In carrying out the invention according to one modification a lever a is pivotally mounted in a casing 61, which is embedded in the track between the rails 0, only one of the latter being shown. This lever when depressed forces over the switch-rail in one direction, as hereinafter described, and in order to enable such switch-rail to be brought back or to be thrown over in the opposite direction another lever is also pivoted in the casing (1. Both levers move in slots e f and are similarly operated and connected one to the switch-rail on one side of the track and one to that on the other side. Therefore the degcription of one and its connections will suf- One or other of the levers a b is selected by the driver, according to which direction he wishes to force over the switch-rail. This he does by lowering one of two wheels or by lowering one wheel and moving it laterally into the ath of the selected lever. The lowered w eel i as the car travels over the leverselected-a,forinstance-runsalong the edge thereof and depresses it, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This, as hereinafter described, moves the switch-rail, the wheel "L as it leaves the lever passing onto an incline h and thence to the road-surface. It will be noticed that the wheel t engages the lever a at the end nearest its fulcrumnamely, at the point of least leverage-the leverage increasing as the wheel travels to the opposite end. By thus arranging the lever at or slightly below the track-level and so that the application of force is gradually increas- Fig. 3 is a transverse section ona'largerscale, Fig. 1'. Fig.1 and 21 Fig; Fig: 6 is an elevation showing the operating-wheel upon a an alternative form of switch-rail employed 7 nection to the switch-rail, the section of Fig.

- tlcally no shock or il constructed.

The movement of the lever a is transmitted to the switch-rail s by means of-a double link u, bell-crank lever g, and link 1", the lever 9 being arranged to give increased leverage. As it is desirable that the driver shall be able to see the switch-rail While it is being thrown over, the apparatus need not be set opposite the rail, as in Fig. 2, but may be set at a distance therefrom, the motion from the rod 1" in such a case being transmitted through suitable leverageas, for example, as indicated by Fig. 2 where two bell-crank levers r r and a link 7' are interposed between the rod r and the switch-rail.

The lever q may be conveniently pivoted on a bracket 12, bolted or screwed to the easing (1. Its arm connected to lever a is preferably longer than that connected to link 1, thereby reducing the ower required to move the switch-rail. T e lever is also preferably provided with athird arm, which is linked by a rod 11) to the corresponding lever of the opposite switch-rail to insure simultaneous movement. This linkage is covered in by a cover 4. (Shown dotted in Fig. 3.) The switch-rail if heavy may be compound that is to say, have a small length 8, pivoted, as at x, to the greater length i, whic is also pivoted as usual. The length .9 acts as aninitial switch. The car-wheel passing on the open side of it engages the length if and forces t e latter over. The length 8 is preferably rabbeted or halved at its joint with the length if, as shown in Fig. 5. The object of this is to provide a lock to prevent the length 8 reto the accumulation of ounding after the switch-rail has been moved over, such as mi ht occur, for instance, if the short lengt could move too freely after one set of wheels of the car had passed over the oint and before the rear set had arrived at t e point, there being considerable concussion when the car passes over the points. The locking is effected owing to the extremity 3 bearing against the adjacent rail, it being necessary to move the long length t slightly when the short length 8 moves. The end 3 acts as a fulcrum and the length 8 as a lever when it is moved by the ap aratus.

s considerable difficulty may ensue, due

mud or the like between the part 8 and the rail, such part and the corresponding part of the rail are both recessed or arched, as at z and 2, respectively, Fig. 5. These recesses are preferably arranged alternately, as shown. By this means any mud which may be present when the switch-rail is moved over is thrust out through the recesses 2. A box fitted with a removable cover may be provided alongside the rail, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, to receive such mud and from which it may be periodically removed. The form of these recesses may be varied according to the type of rail employed. If a deep rail is used, then they may be as in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 but as this tends to weaken the rail it is preferred to arrange them for shallow rails, as in Fig. 8. In this case the switch-rail has no apertures, these being cut in the casting a, partly in the upright rail portion and partly in the base. They are also sloped and splayed out. By this means a large area of opening is obtained without materially weakering the rail, the holes being considerably below the level of the bearing-surface of the rail. The apertures may be wholly in the base. The holes lead into boxes fitted with removable covers and preferably having bottoms sloping up at each end to facilitate cleaning, or they may be fitted with removable interiors 21, containing wood blocks 22, which leave space 23 for sediment. By removing the interior 21 the sediment can be easily cleared out.

The wheel '5 may be carried on the car and operated in any suitable manner. When two wheels are employed, they may each be mounted and operated in the manner indicated in Fig. 6.

The wheel is carried in a fork on the end of a lever m, pivoted on a bracket Z, and acted upon by a spring 3/, which tends to raise the wheel. A cord or chain n is passed from the lever m over guide-pulleys onto the car-deck and terminates in a stirrup p, guided in guides 0. The driver by stepping with more or less force 'on the stirrup can bring the wheel down so as to engage With the respective lever a or b, the arrangement being du-. plicated, so that the correct wheel may be rought down, or a single Wheel may be employed and means be provided to move it laterally to select the desired lever a or b.

The slots 6 f in the casing (Z are preferably widened out, as' at is, to facilitate entry of the wheel or Wheels.

The modification hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, is suitable for an overhead trolley system of electric traction or a horse tramway; but when" the invention is to be applied to a conduit system the levers a b are preferably arranged in casings, one on each side of the conduit, in which case the equivalent connection to w is suitably curved to pass under the conduitcasing, or the apparatus may be arranged between the conduit and one rail.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway-switch of the character specified, the combination of a two-part jointed switch-rail, the end section thereof having a portion extending beyond the pivot of the joint and adapted to bear against the adjacent track-rail, and means for moving one section of the switch-rail adapted to be actuated from a passing car.

2. In a railway-switch automatically operable from a passing car, the combination of a two-part jointed switch-rail, a lever extending longitudinally of the track and depressible on its pivot or fulcrum, and connections for transmittlng movement from said lever to the end section of said switch-rail.

3. In a railway-switch automatically operable from a passing car, the combination of a two-part jointed switch-rail, the end section having a portion extending beyond the pivot of the joint and adapted to bear against the adjacent track-rail, a lever extending longitudinally of the track and depressible on its pivot or fulcrum, and connections for transmitting movement from said lever to the end section of said switch-rail.

4.- In combination, a switch-rail, a casting therefor, apertures in the sides and near the base thereof and boxes for receiving the sediment pushed through said apertures, the boxes being fitted with removable interiors fitted with wooden blocks, but leaving spaces for sediment, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

5. In a railway-switch, the combination with a switch-rail, of a casing therefor having apertures each partly in a side wall and partly in the base of the casing, sloped downward and splayed outward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a railway-switch automatically operable from a passing car, the combination of a switch-rail, of two levers extending longitudinally or the track and each depressible on its pivot or fulcrum, and connections for imparting movement from each of said levers to the other and to the switch-rail, whereby depression of one lever elevates the other lever and moves the switch-rail in one direction, and vice versa.

7. In a railway-switch automatically operable from a passing car, the combination of a switchrail, of two levers extending longitudinally of the track and each depressible at one end on a fulcrum or pivot at its other end, and connections comprising a bell-crank lever and a link between said levers for imparting movement from each of said levers to the other and to the switch-rail, whereby depression of one lever elevates the other lever and moves the switch-rail in one direction, and vice versa.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this Specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BERTRAM- H. MATTHEWS, H. W. JAMESON.

said apertures being. 

